What Could Have Been
by CrazyClumsyCoco15
Summary: A lot of life-changing decisions were made in a split second, but we can't help but wonder what could have happened if one of these decisions was the slightest bit different or a minute too late. A series of one-shots.
1. Victory

My hands fly to my bow as he takes out his knife. My eyes widen, my heart pounds frantically in my ears, I can hardly breathe.

This is it, it's him or me now; it can't be both of us.

I can feel tears of betrayal stinging my tired eyes. He stares at me in shock and he assures me that he will sacrifice himself to save my life.

I just stand speechless, all rational thoughts escaping my frazzled brain. I can hear him calling my name, but I can't comprehend what he says.

I make the decision without thinking; survival does _not _need thinking. You never know your enemies; maybe it was all an act, just like our so-called love story.

I can't trust him. Not even after everything he's done for me.

Pulling the familiar string with my expert hands, I aim it at his heart, I ignore his choked words and I let it go.

My eyes widen as the arrow goes flying and I can see the look of pure horror on his face. I try to cover my eyes, but I fail, and I'm forced to see the arrow penetrate his chest and go right into his heart.

His warm, sweet, caring heart.

I can feel the breath knocked out of me, I scream in pain, I try to tear my hair out of my scalp, I want to take it all back, but it's too late.

The only way I can fix this is to die. I try to struggle against the anonymous grip holding me back from Peeta's knife, I kick, scream, gnaw, bite, claw, but I'm not strong enough.

No, not after I've lost my humanity.

I can hear my name announced in a victorious shout and I see people arriving from everywhere, congratulating me on my victory and planning to prepare me for the horrible celebration.

The hovercraft makes its appearance with a loud noise, and I watch helplessly as the body of the boy with the bread is taken away.

I, Katniss Everdeen, have become the one and only victor of the seventy fourth Hunger Games.

The Capitol wins.

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><p><strong>Peeta fans, please don't kill me, the idea came to me and I had to write it because I finally came up with something original (I think).<strong>

**I love Peeta, but I can't help but think there was a possibility Katniss would kill him at that moment.**

**Each chapter in this fic will have a different length, genre and characters than the other.**

**I will try to update as much as I can, but I have exams, so bear with me :)**

**REVIEW!**


	2. Sacrifice

He has found me.

Adrenaline rushes through my veins, my heart is thumping painfully in my ribcage, and I can't find my voice to call out for help.

"Katniss!" I finally manage to scream her name in a coarse, faint voice.

He's chasing me mercilessly, I'm running out of breath, my legs can't seem to find the power to do any more effort.

I repeat her name hopelessly as the trees scrap every inch of my exposed skin.

My steps falter but I gain strength when I hear Katniss shout my name.

I try to follow the trail of her voice, but my hearts skips a few beats when I feel myself captured in some sort of trap. It's so intricately designed that I can't free myself from it no matter how hard I try.

I take in a slow deep breath, trying not to think that this might be one of my very last intakes of oxygen, the only thought running through my mind being _My time is near, very painfully near._

And that's when I see my saviour running towards me, hope fills my heart and I can't help but think that I may have a chance after all.

I'm taken aback as I see the look of pure horror on her face, I turn my head to the direction where she's looking, and I see exactly why.

The boy from District 1, Marvel has a spear poised right in my direction, and I don't have the chance to scream before he throws it at me.

I close my eyes and pray that my death would be quick and as painless as possible.

I feel myself knocked to the ground and set free from my cage.

Why isn't blood seeping from me? Why can't I feel the spear inside my body? And why do I feel someone's weight on me?

Something's wrong.

I gasp in pain as I realise that it wasn't me who took the spear.

The weight over me shifts and rolls over to the ground to lie beside me.

I growl in anger and I snatch the bow and arrow from Katniss's grip, pulling the string and throwing my first arrow with perfect aim at the boy.

It goes right into his neck, and he goes tumbling to the ground, bleeding heavily. And I can't help but cringe at the feeling that I've just committed my first murder.

I shift my attention away from him and run towards my ally.

"Katniss," I crawl over to her and I can already feel tears soaking my clothes.

She smiles faintly, while her blood stains the grass she's lying on.

"You have to win," she whispers, her chest rising and falling in quick, unsteady gasps.

I can't help her, and I try to force myself into accepting the fact that the one who I just realised was my friend was slowly dying.

"I can't believe you took it for me," I manage to say between sobs.

She touches my shoulder lightly. "You and Prim are my little sisters" she coughs repeatedly. "I would do anything for you," she says in an almost inaudible voice.

"Don't let them win, Rue," she manages to say in a fierce, passionate tone.

I nod furiously, but soundlessly, I don't think I can talk now.

Her hands slip to the ground as her eyes flutter closed.

I back away from her and lie motionlessly on the ground, trying to understand what just happened.

My ears catch the sound of two cannons firing, I fail at denying them.

I can almost hear President Snow laughing in sheer ecstasy.

At that moment, I vow to myself that one day, I'll silence that laugh once and for all.

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><p><strong>What the hell is wrong with me? Does every Hunger Games fanfic have to end in a main character's death? I suck, don't I? :P<strong>

**Anyway, tell me your opinion about it in an itsy bitsy, teeny tiny, baby little review :D**


	3. Mistake

Hopeful faces surround me everywhere, striking despair into my very core.

Their smiles suffocate me, I can't stand one more joyful face, they're driving me madder than I have ever been.

I'm supposed to be happy, the rebellion has succeeded, led by me, the mockingjay and everybody is cheering for me: their hero, their hope, their saviour.

But only a fool would see me as a hero, I'm not even close to being one.

I'm just a stupid symbol, the pretty face on the cover, a helpless puppet in both Coin's and Snow's fingers.

My name can be heard over and over again through the crowds, a continuous loud chant, and I try to ignore the sound as much as I can.

I whip my head around madly, trying to find a familiar face, my heart sinks in my feet as I don't see anyone I know but the ones who control my every breath.

I can't hear the voices that surround me anymore.

It's just me, two enemies, and one arrow.

_Don't trust them, don't go back. Kill Peeta, do what you came to do_

Boggs's final words knock the breath out of me, stopping my heart for a few moments, and I gasp for air when my pulse returns.

I have no idea what's going on ,and it's killing me.

All the coherent words I have struggled to put together are shattered as I remember his dying pleas.

In a daze, I blindly reach out for my precious arrow, I clasp my hand on the bow as my fingers freeze.

My heart is close to jumping out of my throat.

_Don't trust them. Don't trust them. Don't trust them._

I want these words out of my mind now and if it takes this only arrow to my head, I'll do it.

Thousands of vengeful cries erupt, giving me an order to strike.

I point my arrow in his direction and I release the string with a gasp.

It hits him with perfect aim, as always.

They're madder than ever, lifting me up on their shoulders, breaking into victorious songs, and those who are lucky enough, kicking President Snow's dead body and laughing sadistically.

What has happened to them? Have the people of Panem turned into washed down versions of their former oppressor?

An overwhelming sense of dread washes over me. What have I done?

My wonderings come to a halt as I catch a glimpse of silver hair in my sight range.

As I turn around to face her, my feet stay rooted to the ground, and I watch in horror as a demonic smile finds its way to her lips.

She is staring at me with a crazed, bloodthirsty look in her hungry eyes, and I'm struggling not to vomit my stomach empty.

The world is spinning around, I can't breathe, nothing but doom is awaiting everyone now.

All I want is to take the pill and escape my unbelievably wrong decision.

I search around in my costume for the solution to all my troubles and I can't find it.

Why is it not there? How come is it not there? I want it there before I lose what's left of my sanity.

My eyes return to her and when I concentrate, I see a small purple object lying on her open palm. She shrugs with one raised eyebrow and her silent cackle reaches my ear.

If only there was one extra arrow, if only there was any other weapon….but it's too late now, the bells have already tolled for our inevitable destruction.

My eyes once more return to the vast crowd and my heart aches for their temporary, short-lived happiness.

They don't know they're celebrating their own future deaths, even crueler than they have ever been.

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><p><strong>I don't think this chapter has the same atmosphere as the ones before it, but I just HAD to write this idea. Please tell me what you think of it<strong>. **Was it lame, were the words too big, and was Katniss OOC? Tell me in a review :)  
><strong>**  
>I'll be writing more, wait for other chapters ;)<strong>


	4. Explosion

Chaos are everywhere. People are running, screaming, and the ground seems to shake beneath me.

I'm trying to run, but my feet stay rooted to the ground, and when I see her, all her breaks loose, as if the situation isn't bad enough.

"PRIM" I yell at the top of my lungs, causing my throat to rip apart.

I try to run towards her, but if I make one wrong move, we're all doomed.

She's staring at me with her wide, pleading eyes, and my heart breaks in two when I see her familiar ducktail trailing behind her.

She's too young, please God, don't let me lose her, don't let her go before she's been through something worthwhile.

As she opens her mouth to call my name, I see a glimpse of a parachute looming over her head.

All breath is knocked out of me, I'm going blind, and I'm losing all sense in my body.

I can't move, which makes me want to rip my own head off.

A blur of darkness passes with inhuman speed before my line of vision, and before I can absorb what's happening, the parachute explodes, blowing my sister to bits.

I'm thrown back by the force of the explosion, I'm almost suffocated by the heavy smoke, but it doesn't matter anymore.

It doesn't matter because I just lost the only person I was sure I loved.

Sobs are racking my body, and as it shakes, I feel a weight on my chest.

A moving weight.

I draw in a sharp breath, and when I feel around blindly, I can sense a warm body, slowly heaving; rising and falling, up and down, inhaling and exhaling.

My hands move around frantically, and my suspicions are proven right when I grasp numerous locks of silky hair in my shaking fist.

I laugh in disbelief and I start to hyperventilate. She wasn't taken away from me.

But how come was she saved? And why is there blood everywhere?

I stop thinking and I grab my sister into a bone-crushing hug, she's pushing me away, screaming quietly and pointing wildly to something a few meters away from us.

She's trying to tell me something, but I don't want to let her go, everything else can wait now.

I start telling her how much I missed her, how much I love her, how relieved I feel right now, but she shocks me into silence when she screams "GALE" and points to a red lump lying motionlessly and soaked with what seems to be blood.

My brain slowly comprehends the new information. I'm becoming numb and yet my whole body's hurting. My heart feels like it's been stabbed, pierced a thousand times and stepped on, over and over again.

I run despite my unwilling legs and throw myself on him, burying my face in his chest and sobbing uncontrollably.

Wild, animalistic wails echo through the room, and when I feel Prim's hand on my shoulder, I realise the sound is coming from me.

I shut my eyes tightly in a futile effort of denial, and I try to pretend that he's just asleep but when I see his body, literally torn to pieces, I lose everything I've been trying to hold together.

In nothing but pure desperation, I clasp my hands together and press repeatedly on his still heart. I start to punch, assault, and hit violently, wildly, trying to knock life into his broken body.

Nothing's happening.

It finally dawns on me. He's not coming back. I've seen enough deaths already to know when someone's damaged beyond repair.

I caress his bloodied face , cradling his head with my hands one more time and I spring away from him, as if it would kill me to see any more of him.

Every cruel word, every rejection, every time I chose Peeta over him, I regret it all, but it's too late to apologize or make it up for him.

Prim and I bid him one last painful farewell, sorrowful tears drowning our faces. I grab my weapon and hold it firmly in my hands.

The war has just begun, and I've already lost him.

I'm so sorry, Gale, I never realised how much I truly loved you.

Thank you for saving me from myself.

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><p><strong>I don't know how I feel about this. The idea was good when I thought about it, but I'm not sure about the execution. Please tell me what you think in a review :) <strong>


	5. Choice

**This particular chapter is longer than the others because I didn't want it to be too rushed, but if you think it's drawn out or sappy, please tell me, I accept criticism as long as it's constructive :)**

**This one's is told in Delly's POV, to spare you the confusion because her name isn't mentioned till much later in the chapter.**

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><p>The echo of my footsteps follows me down the long corridors, making a continuous, unwelcome noise. I don't want to be seen, I don't want anyone to find out I'm here.<p>

This is the only time when I can wipe the forced smile off my face. I try to be cheerful, but when you're surrounded by pain so intense, it's next to impossible feeling any kind of happiness. Witnessing people die in the Hunger Games is something, and watching someone you love gradually lose his sanity is a whole different case.

I don't know where I'm going, but I couldn't care less, I need to get out of this prison even for a few minutes.

My rapid pace comes to a sudden halt when I catch a glimpse of a half closed door, curious, bored, and in the need to do anything to get my mind off everything, I push the door open and step carefully inside.

As soon as I discover which room I've stepped into, I desperately want to turn around and leave.

It's him.

I'm not ready to face what he has become. He's practically dead; he's not the Peeta that I once knew.

He acknowledges my presence and slowly moves into a sitting position, fiddling with the covers around him and eyeing me with curiosity. I try to look away, but his eyes are so alluring, so hypnotizing.

I've been held captive in those endless pools of electric blue; I'm unable to look anywhere else.

A gentle smile is slowly drawn on his tired face, and I hear him speak calmly for the first time in months.

"You're not a mutt," he says softly, sounding almost lightheaded, and my heart breaks in two when I really see the amount of damage that has been done to him.

"No, I'm not," I flash him a small smile, playing along with him and trying to prevent the tears pooling in my eyes from spilling.

"Is Katniss here? Am I safe? " he asks in a scared voice.

"No, she's not here" I reply warily, shuffling my feet. I decide to approach him and grab a hard, wooden chair beside his bed, sitting carefully on it.

"I quite like you," he states simply with a strange sparkle in his eyes. "I like it when you sit at our table and eat with us. You have a beautiful smile," he beams.

My breathing becomes shallow and urgent, and I try so hard not to run into his arms and bury my face in his warm chest, so I just manage to send a quick half-smile in his direction and mutter a small "thanks".

"D..Delly," he starts, one of his shaky hands moving slowly towards mine "We haven't spent that much time together, and after Katniss turned out to be a traitor, I haven't been able to open my heart to anyone, but I think..." he hesitates and lets out a sigh "I think I might be falling for you," he states.

I choke on my words, and before I can say anything, he speaks again.

"You're nothing like her," he continues. "You're sweet and caring; you never tried to hurt me. You're perfect in every way possible."

I try to reply and tell him Katniss never hurt him and never will, and that they belong with no one but each other, but the words die in my throat.

After all, isn't that all I ever wished for? That he would finally love me, that he would be all mine, that I would be the only one to make him happy?

I stay silent and let out a small, happy laugh, I scoot a bit closer to him, feeling the warmth radiating from his body.

He looks up at me with a loving look in his eyes, and I feel his face come closer and closer, until I can see every single light freckle on his face.

I've dreamt of this moment for so long, I can't believe it's happening, I've never been so happy in my life.

But it doesn't feel right.

Just as his lips are about to touch mine, I pull away violently.

"No, Peeta," I say firmly. "You and Katniss were made for each other." I state, trying to ignore the painful pang in my chest. "There's absolutely no way I would ruin what you have because it's too beautiful to destroy."

My heart is throbbing with agony, but I can't stop the words from pouring out of my lips. "Katniss is not a mutt!" I exclaim, bolting out of the chair and taking his shoulders in my grip, shaking him repeatedly. "Do you hear me, Peeta? All those memories, they're not real, they've been planted inside your brain because they want to break you both!"

He shakes his head silently, refusing to believe me. I sigh tiredly and calm myself down.

"Peeta," I say quietly. "She was going to die for you. You have no idea how mad she went when you weren't with her. She was a living dead until you came back. You don't know how much pain you caused her when you, her loved one, attacked her," I say quickly, in one breath. "She is not the enemy, you have to understand that."

I can feel him relax under my strong grip. "You're not lying. You would never lie to me, would you? No, you wouldn't, you're Delly." He states gently, giving me another warm smile, breaking my heart into a million pieces.

"I'm not, trust me, I would never lie to you about something like that," I say with a faint edge of bitterness in my voice.

"So you mean, she's not what my brain tells me?" he says carefully, weakly, uncertainly.

"Yes!" I nod with passion. "Please, just give her a chance" I beg him.

"I think I may have loved her at some point. Do you think I could fall for her all over again, Delly?" he says with a wistful smile on his face, saying my name all over again.

I nod furiously, unable to say anything.

I take in a deep breath "Promise me that when you see her next time, you'll give her the chance to explain herself. You can't find this kind of love with anyone else. Trust me." I say despite all my feelings.

He nods slowly. "I think I can remember her, what she used to be…."

"What she still is. She hasn't changed," I interrupt him.

He blinks quickly and his eyes become focused. The electricity in his eyes becomes once again the calm sea blue that they used to be.

"Katniss." He whispers. "Where is she?" he asks in a worried voice. "I need to see her."

My heart sinks in my feet, all hope of him loving me is lost, but I find my voice and try to talk to him as happily as I can. "She's asleep now, I'll tell her you need to see her when she wakes up."

We share a moment of silence, and I decide to get up and leave him before I cry my eyes out in front of him.

"I'll go now, Peeta, I'm really tired." I say shortly.

"Oh..okay, Goodnight then," he says slowly.

I silently walk out of his room, dragging my feet behind me, finally the dam breaks, and my long held tears are flooding my face.

My steps make a loud trailing echo once again, but being heard isn't as important anymore.

I wipe my tears in my sleeve quickly, and when I realize that I helped two tortured souls find each other again, a wide smile creeps up my face, brightening it up.

And for the first time in months, I know it's not a forced one.

I am truly proud of what I've done; my pain doesn't matter as long as he's happy.

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><p><strong>I'm sorry for reposting this chapter, but I just realized there was something very important I wanted to point out, Peeta's string of thoughts here is very unconnected because as we all know, his brain has been hijacked, that's why he switches subjects so quickly, so the way he was talking might have been a little strange.<strong>

**I'm really sorry for spamming your inboxes, I just had to highlight this in case someone thought it was stupid of him to be talking that way.**

**Anyway, review and tell me what you think :)**


	6. Selflessness

It's over, everything is. It all seems so surreal, and I can't help but have that paranoid feeling that somebody out there is still plotting for my ultimate demise.

Coin haunts me, and so does Snow, but knowing that they're dead, buried countless feet below the ground never to terrorize me again, gives me the slightest bit of comfort that I need to go through the day without going insane.

But it _is_ over, that's an undeniable fact, and no one can hurt me anymore, nobody can torture me or rip my soul apart, no one can threaten me with a loved one's life or sanity, and for that, I'm eternally grateful.

I'm nowhere near the one I used to be, though. I'm screwed up beyond repair, and no matter how much I try to glue myself back together, it's not going to work.

I don't have my Peeta back despite our victory. We grow back together, but there are still times when his fingertips suddenly touch my neck with feather touches, his azure eyes strained, desperately hiding his torture, and I know deep inside that he's struggling not to strangle me to death.

Sometimes, In the middle of the night, I wake him up with my agonized screams, thrashing around frantically, with memories of the dead invading my crazed mind. He calms me down, soothes me, brushes my hair away from my sweaty, tear stained face, and he whispers sweet nothings to lull me to sleep. But when _he _is the one to scream, I'm helpless, because there's nothing I can do to help his brain recover the hijack.

In fact, I'm making it even _worse._

We couldn't be more different, and I used to think that our difference made us special, but I turned out to be sorely mistaken. Gale and I, we're fire, we're machines of destruction, full of rage and cruelty, but Peeta's the dandelion in the spring, the bright yellow that means rebirth instead of destruction, and the hope that he radiates seems so tempting to hold on to, but I have to let him go, because he will not be able to endure my flames, they will burn him to ashes, and I've already caused him enough damage, I won't be able to forgive myself if I'm the one to finally break him.

I'm dysfunctional; the war has ruined me in unimaginable ways, and neither Gale nor Peeta deserve someone as ruined as I am.

I stare into his beautiful ocean blue eyes, and I allow myself to drown inside them for a few moments, bidding him a silent farewell.

The decision has been made, and I have no regrets.

So after, when he whispers, "You love me. Real or not real? "

My breath hitches in my throat; I never expected it to be so difficult for those two words to come out of my lips. I didn't know the love I bore for him was so _intense, _ran so deep, but this needs to be said, it's for the best. I've been selfish all my life; it's about time I do one selfless action, if only for him.

My chest constricts in pain, and the words spill, each letter carving an everlasting wound into my aching heart, like a knife being dragged across my chest, yet bleeding for Peeta's loss is worth saving him.

And in a choked whisper, I tell him, "Not Real."

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><p><strong>I haven't updated in months and this is the first chapter I've written since the beginning of summer, so I'm really glad I wrote it because it kind of helped me overcome the massive writer's block I've been suffering. I hope you like it, and if there's any criticism, any praise (which is highly unlikely), or any suggestions, I'll be glad to receive them, but no flames, please :)<strong>

**Thanks for reading and future reviewing (You know you want to! :D )**


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